CSE represented on Cargill thrive Student Advisory Board
Photo courtesy of the U of M Cargill thrive Program.
A shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion drives new University partnership
March 18, 2022
The natural world is important to Jimena Jimenez, a University of Minnesota sophomore in mechanical engineering, and she wants to find sustainable solutions to help protect it. Jimenez is one of three College of Science and Engineering (CSE) students selected to serve on the 10-member Cargill thrive Student Advisory Board.
The recently formed board meets bi-weekly this spring to shape the development of the thrive program—a partnership between the U of M and Cargill—which will launch in fall 2022.
Cargill Inc. introduced the $6 million nationwide program last year to ensure more equitable access for women and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students pursuing careers in STEM, business, and agriculture.
In addition to Jimenez, CSE students Abdullahi Abdullahi, a computer science major, and Sam Nguyen, a junior majoring in bioproducts and biosystems engineering are on the advisory board as well—along with students from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, and Carlson School of Management.
Each student will receive a one-time $5,000 scholarship and mentoring from Cargill professionals. They will also attend a two-day leadership development and networking event at Cargill’s headquarters in Minneapolis, and head to Florida for the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) national conference later this month.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate,” Jimenez said. “Cargill’s thrive Program is unique to many scholarships and programs offered.”
“Not only is Cargill working to increase the number of underrepresented identities by providing financial support,” she added, “but it remains actively involved with the recipients through their academic life, offering mentoring, professional workshops, and career opportunities and advice.”
According to University of Minnesota thrive program coordinator Britney Hayes, the student selection process was competitive. She received about 80 applications—26 were invited to an interview, before the finalists were selected.
Jimenez values the peers she’s met at board meetings and the sense of community Hayes has helped the group establish.
“Our meetings have helped me build confidence in my professional skills, learn skills for successful self-presentation,” she explained. “I know that the experiences I gained serving on the Cargill thrive Student Advisory Board will aid me in moving forward not only in my academic career but in my professional life after college.”
Learn more about the Cargill thrive Student Advisory Board on the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences website.
Read more about the thrive program at Cargill news.
If you’d like to support students in the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, visit our CSE Giving website.